Sunday, 29 November 2009

Giving thanks

In America this week is Thanksgiving week. For most people here, this seems to be an excuse to lament the fact that they are going to eat a lot of food, then stuff themselves anyway, then moan about it. I'm not quite sure how that fits with being thankful, or indeed healthy, or for that matter with anything to do with gluttony and gloating in the face of the rest of the world but maybe that's cos im not from around here.

Anyway I had a supremely enjoyable thanksgiving, I'm chilling at a friend's house by the beach looking after Tigger the boston terrier and Marley the (scardey) cat. I spent thanksgiving with another friend, it was a great time, we ate (plenty) drank (good beer) made beer and ice cream floats (seriously: pumpkin ice cream, stone smoked porter, just do it). We sat around the fire, sung some songs and played some geetar. It was really nice to be in a big family (4 kids, mum, dad, aunt, uncle and everybody's friends). Everyone was happy and comfortable. Nobody moaned, everybody enjoyed themselves and nobody felt left out. It felt great to be part of such a welcoming family when my folks are so far away.

It made me realize that we do have a lot to be thankful for. Not really so much our ability to make lots of food, or consume lots of food but our ability to share it with friends. To make each other happy by giving something which we need to survive but are often too busy to enjoy. With that in mind I have been thinking of people who can't eat well, or at all.

I was out riding with Jesse the other day and we saw a homeless guy who had a sign saying he was hungry, nobody had cash but Jesse passed the guy a nakd bar – this struck me as a bloody brilliant idea. So i'm trying to start something: on your rides, especially at weekends, carry an extra ba, or a gel, or a tube and make an effort to help someone out. Don't do it for the adulation, just give your gift and ride away, you'll be blown away by the karma you can generate. So often cyclists don't get on with each other, or with passers by or with triathletes (I know, it's hard). If we keep spreading the good vibes, riding above the hate and road rage and passing on gifts instead of folding in mirrors (which I am as guilty of as anyone else) let's see if we can't make the road a safer place to be. Or at least help out somebody who needs 250 calories way more than most of us do. So go out there and the plastic coated 4 inch long love and give someone a trek bar ;)